Believer’s Obligations (Part A)

If you've ever struggled with something in you someone comes along signs no praying for you and going to get this victory. It helps because when you don't have you noticed very quickly. All was with me, like a nebulizer complex.

I'm the only one you don't want to say that you also know that there are times when someone is just going to so much junk in this life you suffer with them. This is cross reference radio with our pastor and teacher Rick Gaston. Rick is the pastor of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville.

Pastor Rick is currently teaching through the book of first Peter, please stay with us after today's message to hear more information about cross reference radio, specifically how you can get a free copy of this teaching today. Pastor Rick begins a brand-new message called believers obligation in first Peter chapter 3, first Peter chapter 3 verses eight through 17 will take this morning by showing up here this morning you've asked for it going to get it so might not feel so warm and snug about themselves after our reading and then course, the delivery of the word. Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another, love as brothers, tenderhearted, courteous not return evil for evil reviling for reviling but on the contrary, blessing, knowing that you were called to this, you may inherit a blessing for he who would love life and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit. Let him turn away from evil to good, let him seek peace and pursue it. The eyes of Yahweh are on the righteous years open to their prayers but the face of Yahweh is against those who do evil, and who is he who will harm you if you become followers of what is good, but even if you should suffer for righteousness sake, you are blessed and do not be afraid of their threats be troubled but sanctify the Lord God in your heart and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you with meekness and fear.

Having a good conscience that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed. It is better if it is the will of God to suffer for doing good then for doing evil instructions, obligations for believers.

These are instructions and they obligate us to comply with what is being said. In fact, that sermon on the mount with which once you hear it. Once you read it you never forget its impact instructions for us is not uncommon to find Christians degrading these things trampling discarding them, ignoring them, covering them up denying them may not be any of us entire churches which often expand, but do not grow in Christ do not grow remain stunted though they may expand because the obligations that Christ is put on us as believers are dismissed by those who claim to believers.

It is a problem that has plagued mankind since sin, the prophet Isaiah, in writing to Judah mainly able to the Jewish people. The people of God. Isaiah 48 verse 20 says here this, O house of Jacob. Jacob, who are called by the name of Israel and have come forth from the wellsprings of Judah who swear by the name of Yahweh and make mention of God, the God of Israel, but not in truth, or in righteousness. That's what he says. It really helps. It helps us tremendously to be again confronted our flesh with these great truths that is so necessary for the work of ministry, for the edification of the body of Christ to the preaching of truth to sanctifying the Lord God Jesus Christ in our hearts that we could be effective instruments in his hand so that on that day which is going to come here and say well done just to hear him say well done.

Verse eight so Peter says finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another love is brothers, tenderhearted, courteous, that finally where he says here doesn't not mean amending up the letter now that will continue for what we know is two more chapters. That's not what's happening is referring to, not the conclusion of his letter, but the list of various Christian submissions that he is already shared with them. Remember from chapter to submit a citizens submit to your employers submit husbands and wives and now something for all of them. He says finally you to and continues in verse eight all of you be of one mind. What is so difficult about us as Christians in the body of Christ rolling in the same direction at the same time. That's what he is saying to them, because it was a problem in the early church also there are enough reasons to keep believers at each other other's throats. You know when you go for the throat you going to do your trying to do. The intention is to do serious damage to the one that you are opposed to so may we not go at each other's throats. Sometimes we have to defend ourselves against those who claim Christ but don't act like they believe in Christ going for our own juggler.

There will always be areas amongst Christians to disagree on eternal security for or once saved always saved prophecy for example, tongs see how that's always a hotbed for contention but not to the point of anger and wrath. We can if you were to do if I were to take all use my own self as an example, all my favorite Christian authors if they were alive and put them all into one room together and then joined we would all agree on the essentials. There a lot of things we wouldn't us we we would we would disagree on course as you know, to tell you know it's coming as well know, I'd be the right one is so easy to think you're right and the other person is wrong when you're wrong. If you think that would make sense… But anyway, always something to do good disagree on Paul. Paul is a cutterhead of so many of those early Christians even James the brother of the Lord just never rose to the level of Paul as a scholar and servant. This is the fact is not meant to you in our belittle James, but Paul found himself tolerating James and the things that came out of the church in Jerusalem, but he would not budge, not an inch on a critical issue on an essential issue when they came up to the church in Antioch in Syria.

Paul good night that I was given in for an hour, not for a moment that I yield so we have to learn this. It's it's it's it's it's craft, not craftiness it to skill as a Christian to learn to dismiss the smaller things and to lay hold of those things that are important know, of course, the church is supposed to have more things in line together so that we can wrote together.

He says having compassion for one another that Greek word translated compassion, sympathy over from the Greek where we get our English word sympathy and its meaning in the good in the Greek the root meaning is to suffer with someone to feel what they're going through Hebrews 4, verse 15, we do not have a high priest. We do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weakness but was in all points tempted as we are yet without sin. So, just knowing that Jesus understands what we go through big help. Well it so if if you've ever struggled with something and you someone comes along sign stand. I know been praying for you and going to get this victory. It helps because when you don't have your notices very quickly. I am all alone wounds with me become like a Evan Eliza complex. I am the only one we don't want to say that you also know that there are times when someone is just going to so much junk in this life you you suffer with them. Love is brothers. He says, is this a warmness this is that fire Leon love, not that spiritual.

Although that is what creates all our loves as believers the agape love this warmness towards fellow believers because we had the identical father in heaven identical, tenderhearted. Some of you feel that was just my way. I'm just rough well I think good enough then cut it with God. All okay will then don't be tenderhearted you can be a brute, you can be the full because you just don't see this as an obligation laid upon us know not when the weary of.

Certainly there comes a time when it is our place to administer correction. We can do that in a tender way to a point that we have to get firm up the other person provokes, but as a rule, tenderhearted this to understand that the other person is struggling and that is not my queue to shoot the wounded as the grizzly are notoriously known to do as lovers of Jesus Christ shoot our wounded and not our obnoxious and disobedient and imposters. I mean those who are genuine believers who may have been tripped up, caught in something this not for us to judge them in their plight care.

Well, that would never happen to them of the took my advice. May God not happen corner you say that to you. Paul use the same word in the Greek, tenderhearted writing to the Ephesians from jail. Incidentally, he said we might want to get that telomere in church while they next to you. In fact, let me have kicked us another 5 to 6 is almost phone is what we know now because they read her right this heaven tenderhearted fun becoming to one another like I just forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you need the Holy Spirit always gets personal with us. You always abscess and get the leg and made eye contact.

Here is God forgave you in Christ Jesus. He says, courteous.

Now let me ask a question I'm asking you to stand joke joke from last week on a report card. What grade would you give yourself one being courteous in couple with that. What grade would you give yourself and be humble to what grade would others give you on being courteous I'm I a lot of people here all that I know why I find to be courteous. In fact, visitors always tell me they make two comments that do this all the time.

One, how clean the places and how friendly the people are. Would to God that all houses of God would be recipients of such an honor and hold it and not lose it because once you have it, doesn't mean you're guaranteed to keep it. You had to fight to get you better fight to keep it at that statistical Laura law and accursed world, but apparently some translations say be courteous when you are in the mood to be courteous when you feel like you having a good day or when there's something in it for you. I can't tell you how many times people of come to me after certain someone left the church after but not all of them for sure.

But every now and then there's some that will leave the church and people will come and say, tell me the things that the they did and when one of them is this is how snide and mean they were to them how they would never even say hello so unfortunate incompatibility is no reason to be rude.

Maybe. Maybe you are a dog use myself as an example, what if I go out shopping by myself a new hairpiece. For example like to replace the one I have now and I see the someone who used to come to the church to be rude. The love of Christ compels me made it awkward.

It's unpleasant. Sometimes, but it doesn't it doesn't grant me now right to be anything less than courteous and I know all God's people say that's right. Verse nine he says not returning evil for evil law reviling for refiling but on the contrary, blessing, knowing that you are called to this and that you may inherit a blessing.

What about justifiable retaliation.

I mean, they pulled on my cape. They had it coming to them.

They ask for it. Let may be true, they had it coming to them and they asked for, but it is not for you to answer. Have you heard the expression when animals attack.

How about when Christians attacked. Isn't that marvelous. Is that something to honor Jesus Christ and Christians attack and bite and scratch and claw and small. In Jesus name.

Well self exaltation is only avoidable when we shrink in the presence of his commandments.

He must increase, I must decrease. I must not be inflated with myself justifying my rude carnal behavior because they had it coming to them. The Christian life is to be spirit filled. If you are spirit filled. I promise you, you will be devil tempted nowhere around your spirit filled so that you will be able to respond to those temptations. People will provoke you and it is harder when it comes from those who name Christ as Lord again because we don't expect we expect those who are Christians to be on a higher level to exhibit a higher behavior and they will let you down time to time. It will be hard but you we are still not to return evil for evil. I would not want to stand before God as some Christians will end explained to him why I felt it necessary to visit a church and does not care for it.

The doctrinal heresies were preached and then feel obligated to go online and tell the world why I gave them less than five stars because my opinion is so important. It is vital that the world knows my criticisms. I think it's shameful. I mean I think it's good if you'd like a church give it five stars. If you want to voice something whatsoever things are good whatsoever things are lovely, of good report, meditate on these things, that the apostle not where they get a loan to me way to the world finds out that I did not care for something, my rights were offended or whatever it may be.

So I encourage you don't do that some of you may have already done it loops you repent.

Don't do it again.

Think of all the things you cannot do in Jesus name. Quite a few of them when you hate when you retaliate, you cannot say I hate you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. You would be preaching the devil sermon.

If you did so these snide behaviors. These petty little criticisms in meanness that we are very capable doling out God save us from it, not once but twice.

David could have ended his misery of that maniacal bloodthirsty crazy King Saul of Israel.

Both times he let them go. Why why did he not retaliate. He certainly was justified. This man was not trying to kill him because David was always mindful of God. He lived in the fear of God. Yeah, I know we had week time when he sin with Bathsheba. He said he knew he was wrong.

He is the steepest caught in the vortex of the flesh, and he lost that battle, but the battles he knew he could win. It was gallant. No one can take that from him. Christ is not taken. Christ is careful to associate his throne with the throne of David magnificent how encouraging it is. He says Peter does but on the contrary, blessing you bless an enemy way for them to sneeze there.

I did it. Summary.

I'm not doing a consume type or write by praying for their salvation.

If they are not say, by praying for the Christ likeness. If they are. It's very hard to do this when your feelings are invested when you feel justified when you are offended when you are you you have you been stepped on, or someone you love has been hurt in this very hard to pray for an enemy with any seriousness what I have done is of braided just a check the box sort away. And Lord may save them but I mean it, but I'm the Civil War, but I know what's expected. I know I'll obligated to do this and it is better, force myself to face it to sweep it under a rug or someone can trip and stumble because of it. Otherwise, we become like Islam. We justify those who retaliate against murder for not agreeing with us. That is not how we are supposed to be.

As Christians, and you know it should never be satisfied with anything less. Again, those who heard the sermon on the mount that David Jesus spoke they never forgot it they got it they may not have understood every single thing he said, but they understood enough to know that they had their hands full, that there was work cut out for them if they were going to claim God as their God. The sermon of the Mount. It rattles us every single one of us. No one reads a sermon of the mountain walks away feeling good about themselves said I got work to do. The apostle said to Jesus, will then who can who can. Why bother getting married.

If this is what we're going to face Jesus and listed your stock so you better learn to fight, put up a perimeter dig up foxhole and trench complete with grenade pit because you're going to need it and in the end. In the end you will find out that my word does not return void that it will be worth it when you think Christianity is not worth it. What you are doing it anyway. What can the hell do against that one weapon formed against that exist, none is when Christ will say well done essay. Okay, you're right, I am after that.

Yeah baby that's what I want I want it to be some emotion and it now. The truth be told of choruses as I hope I always tell appear them is when I'm not up you can lie. The truth be told, is that I always feel not getting it right. I'm not doing enough.

I mean, someone could get their car stuck on the moon and I would feel like I didn't do enough to help them get it towed Scripture. It rubs us the wrong way when we are facing contrary to Christ like you know you say you take a dog if you rubbers further in the direction that it goes. It's very nice and then you rub it the other way is rubbed the wrong way it stands up that's being rubbed the wrong way and we need to turn around face the other direction. Romans 12. Therefore, if your enemy is hungry, feed him if he is thirsty, give him a drink for in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.

Give me a picture that parkas are not clear when you met. I want to feed him led would you like a hemlock shake Stephen that great man of God, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom. The Bible says him and six others.

His last words were there that God would forgive his enemy. Those who were stoning that move.

We are so glad you tuned in today to study the book of first Peter on cross reference radio cross reference radio is the daily radio ministry of Pastor Rick Gaston of Calvary Chapel in Mechanicsville, Virginia, and we are blessed to bring you God's word with each broadcast. If you'd like more information about this program or want to listen to additional teachings from Pastor Rick please visit our website cross reference radio.com also encourage you to subscribe to our podcast so you'll never have to miss a program. Just search for cross reference radio iTunes Google play music or your favorite podcast.

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